Improvement in feed-cutters



mvENToR,

WITNESS Es:v

l Il f N-PETERS. FHOTOUTHOGRAFM WASHINGTON D c mvENToR.

WITNESSES:

NFETERS. PNOT wAsmNsToN D c dini/tat tit HENRY A. BUCK, or FREDONIA, NewYoan.

Letters Patent No. 112,117, dated February 28, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEED-CUTTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pax-i:` ofthe same.

I, HENRYv A. BUCK, formerly of Meadville, in the county of Crawford andState of Pennsylvania, but now residing at Fredonia, in the county ofChautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feed-Gutters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of feed-cutters, in whichintermittent rotating feed-rollers are combined with rotating knives.

`'The object of the first part of my improvement is to render the feedadjustable to vary the length of cut, and also the relative movements ofthe feedrollers and cutter; and the improvement consists -in mounting onthe driving-shaft an elliptical cam having semicircular ends curved inan arc of which the driving-shaft forms the centre. This cam is providedwith an elliptical guide-slot in which a pin on a connecting-rod takesand' by which it is driven. This.

rod actnates the feed-rollers. The cam can be turned on its shaft toadjust it relatively to the feed.

The object of the next part of my invention is to enable the feed-rollsto work at a distance apart constantly varying,-in order to accommodateirregularities in the feed without interrupting the proper operation ofthe rollers, and the improvement consist-s in forming slots on theconnecting-rod, in which slots play pins on the vibrating arms whichactuate the rollers; the rollers arethus free to approach or recede fromeach other without interrupting their operation.

My improvement further consists in combining a.

xed knife, a rotary-cutter, and a lifting-plate, which at properintervals lifts the feed over the knife.

In the accompanying-drawing, which shows all my improvements embodied inone convenient way,

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved machine;

Figure 2 is a similar view of the driving mechanism;

Figure 3 is a plan of the same;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the cutting apparatus, detached;

Figure 5 is a plan of the same;

Figure 6 is plan ofthe entire machineg'and Figure 7, a front elevationof the same.

Power is imparted to a driving-shaft Dl in the usual way. An arm, H,projects from this shaft. An elliptical cam, G, is also mounted on theshaft D', and provided with an elongated slot, g', to permit .it to beadjusted on the shaft, the slot being of a width slightly exceeding thediameter of the shaft. This adjustment is effected by means of a setscrew hf passing through the arm H into the cam and holding it in theposition desired.

An elliptical guide-slot, g, having ends curved in an are of which theshaft D' forms the center, is

while the upper one, A, has its bearings in levers fi',

counterbalanced by weights or springs and pivoted to allow this rollerto rise and fall in a manneil connnon to feed-cutters, and which needno't, there-tore, be more particularly described here.

Circular ratchets B b are fixed on and turn with their respective axlesa. n". Each of tue vibrating arms b' b", above-mentioned, carries apawl, cc', which takes into its respective ratchet B b. The uppervibrating arm b extends from the centi-e to the circumference of itsratchet B, and carries a pawl, c,

which engages with the ratchet.4 A similar pawl, "i, on`

the lever i', prevents any backward movement oi the ratchet. The lengthofthe lower vibrating arm b" slightly exceeds the diameter of itsratchet b, and its pawl c' is pivoted to the lower endof this arm.

A xed'knife, M, is secured to the frame', rendered adjustable, andpermitted to yield slightly, to prevent jars' or breakage, in thefollowing manner: The

`knife M is secured to a bed-plate,-m, hy screws or otherwise, and isprevented from springing by stops m m. The bed-plate 'm is secured tothe framing F F vby means of screws n n inserted through elongated slotso o in the plate. The bed-plate can be adjusted by this means.- Theproper relative adjustment between the knife M and cutter L is effectedby set-screws p p' passing through the framing lf F', and bearing on thebed-plate m. This device compensates the wear of the fixed knife. Anelastic cushion, 11", is inserted between the bed-plate 'm and framing FF.

A rotating cutter or revolving pressure-wing L is mounted on thedriving-shaft D', and works close to the edge of the fixed knife.

A vibrating plate, J, is arranged between the lixed knife and thefeed-rolls, being secured to arlnsjj" oscillating on the shaft "of thelower feed-roll. An eccentric, K", on the driving-shaft D', vibratesthis plate through a pitman, K.

In operation, the material to be cut is placed in the feed-trough andthe driving-shaft D revolved in the proper direction. The rotation ofthe cani G reciprocates the connecting-rod D, which rocks the vibratingarms b b",- these,by means of their pawls and r ratchets, impart anintermittent rotary motion to the feed-rolls A a, iu the direction shownby the arrows. The feed is thus drawn in between-the rollers etintervals. Should an excess of 'feed separate the rollers the slots andpins lcompensate this movement without -stopping the feed.- Each forwardmovement of the rolls is followed by a pause, as the connecting-rodremains stationary while the pinf is passing around that portion of thevv.guide-slotg which is concentric with the shaft D; when ,theconnecting-rod is retracted the pawls slip 'over their ratchets and thefeedrolis remain stationary until the next forward movement of theconnecting-rod. A long pause followed by a short feed 'movement is thussecured. By a forward movement of the connecting-rod I mean a. movementin the same direction as the feed. A

Simultaneously with the feed-movement the vibrating-plate J rises andlifts the feed over the edge of the knife, and then drops quickly out ofthe way as the revolving cutter comes around and shearso the Yn'laterialprojecting beyond the' fixed knife.

I am aware that rotary-cutters, fixed-cutters, and

wheels; the vibrating arms oscillating on the axes of tlie-feed-Wheels'; the pins on' the arms working in the slots in theconnecting-rod; the pawls. mounted lon the vibrating arms; the ratchet-son the Ifeed-wheelshafts; and the feed-wheels; all these parts beingconstructed to operate in combination substantiallyas hereinbefore setforth, to enable the feed-wheels to- 'work at varying distances apart. l

2. The combination `of the driving-shaft, the rotating cutter, thestationary knife, the vibrating liftingplate, and the cam and pitinanwhich vibrate said Vplate; all these parts; being constructed to operateiu combination substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

Witnesses: y HENRY A. BUCK.

ReNsoM` 10. rWRIGHT,4 y

JOHN. DAVENPQRT.

